excluded |single drama | bBC two
starring craig parkinson, monica dolan & Brian dick
written by brian fillis, produced by caroline levy & eleanor moran
excluded clip| chair
Press
-
An outstanding drama… top marks, as I couldn’t help myself murmuring.
Observer
-
Worthy but far from dull, you will be entirely riveted throughout. Making his screen debut as troubled Mark, George Whitehead is a revelation.
Daily Mail
-
It really seems real, because of utterly convincing performances… The classroom scenes have such an authenticity about them that I really thought I was there, torn between feeling Mr Bately’s discomfort and frustration and wanting to throw things at him when his back was turned (then being weirdly won over and fascinated by his linear equations too). And the kid who plays Mark (George Whitehead) is brilliant, doing rage and defiance and hurt all at once – an extraordinary performance. It’s all brilliant – immediate, tense, funny, sad, touching, relevant. If you missed it, go and stand at the back of the room. Or, alternatively, go and watch it on iPlayer.
Guardian
-
So why was Excluded so much better than Waterloo Road? Well, first of all, the acting, which had far fewer meaningful looks, double takes and general business than you get in whole evenings of prime-time.
The Times
-
Within a single hour this story of a struggling boy in a struggling school told us more about the state of the nation’s education than a hundred worthy documentaries.
Metro
-
a thoughtful, slow-burn kind of storytelling that brings a skilled hand to the tale of a surly pupil and the teacher who tries to connect with him... the circumstances are beautifully sketched and horribly convincing... deftly played... it's subtle, touching and feels as though it could be unfolding right now at a school near you.
Radio Times
-
a candid glimpse into life at an urban comprehensive... that the film is partly improvised lends it authenticity and its tone ranges from bleak to uplifting without getting sentimental. Full marks.
TV Times